Gi Open Guard: Stay on the Sleeve vs Free Your Sleeves for 3 Seconds or Pass
Mat mode
3:00
Tell the roomUse the sleeve to remove a post or isolate an arm, then off-balance or come up.
Show full gameHide full gameRules · how to win · video
Notes (this phone)
BOTTOM (GI OPEN GUARD)
POSITION
Gi. On your back in open guard; your partner is the passer.
OBJECTIVE
Use the sleeve to remove a post or isolate an arm, then off-balance or come up.
CONSTRAINTS
You must be gripping a sleeve at all times. You're held to the sleeve area, not to one grip: start on one sleeve, regrip with the other hand or switch sides when they break it, reinforce behind the triceps, or combine the sleeve with a collar or pants grip. Keep connecting your feet to their shoulders, hips, biceps, and knees. Locking the triangle is the win; don't squeeze for the finish, and release on a tap.
WIN CONDITION
You off-balance them so their hips or hands touch the floor, you come up on top, or you lock a triangle.
TOP (PASSER)
POSITION
Gi. Passing your partner's open guard.
OBJECTIVE
Pass, or free your sleeves.
CONSTRAINTS
Clearing the sleeve grips is an artificial win: it wouldn't score in a match, but it does here. Passing still wins. The coach plays this over several weeks and changes the top player's pass win to shape the guard: chest to chest only to build upper-body connections like lasso and spider, or a win that forces a vertical pass to build connections around the knees.
WIN CONDITION
You remove every sleeve grip and keep your sleeves free for 3 seconds, or you pass to chest to chest or knee on belly.
Reference video
Open video · The Brinkmanship Lab
The Brinkmanship Lab (Jiu-Jitsu Saguenay), One Constraint to Build the Gi Open Guard (free YouTube video). The coach credits the seed of the game to Andris Brunovskis, Full CLA class in the gi.
Problem
Gi.
Tell the room
Use the sleeve to remove a post or isolate an arm, then off-balance or come up. Pass, or free your sleeves.
Setup
Gi. On your back in open guard; your partner is the passer. Gi. Passing your partner's open guard.
Score
You off-balance them so their hips or hands touch the floor, you come up on top, or you lock a triangle. You remove every sleeve grip and keep your sleeves free for 3 seconds, or you pass to chest to chest or knee on belly.
Rules
- You must be gripping a sleeve at all times.
- You're held to the sleeve area, not to one grip: start on one sleeve, regrip with the other hand or switch sides when they break it, reinforce behind the triceps, or combine the sleeve with a collar or pants grip.
- Keep connecting your feet to their shoulders, hips, biceps, and knees.
- Locking the triangle is the win; don't squeeze for the finish, and release on a tap.
- Clearing the sleeve grips is an artificial win: it wouldn't score in a match, but it does here.
- Passing still wins.
- The coach plays this over several weeks and changes the top player's pass win to shape the guard: chest to chest only to build upper-body connections like lasso and spider, or a win that forces a vertical pass to build connections around the knees.
guard